Crab Apple Jelly brings back memories of our Mom and childhood home. Think the seemingly endless fruit from those crab apple trees Dad planted inspired our mother to make her first batches of jelly and a culinary hobby was born. Over the years, she would produce various jellies, jams and marmalades; everyone wanted to be on that gift list. My personal faves were Kumquat marmalade, Green Tomato jam and Strawberry jam (which she made just loose enough to make a delicious topping for ice cream yet stiff enough to spread on bread and scones.
Thank you for the great recipes and the memories…

If only I could learn to trust, when September turns rotten, that October will blaze through with golden light.

Can you believe all this was foraged from the very hedge which marks the boundary of Cork city and county. The hedge runs through a bit of land known as Murphy’s farm. Not even my extremely knowledgeable father-in-law has been able to tell me who Murphy was but I guess he must have planted these crab apple trees. I thank you, Mr. Murphy.

Husband did the tree-shaking while Small Girl and I hopped about gathering these fairy-sized apples.The rose hips were somewhat more painstaking. There are a handful of Rosa rugosa, probably planted by the city council, but most are common dog rose (Rosa canina) and hail from the county side of the hedge. In the background of the above photo you can see a colander full of…